Beauty in the Dark
by Honeeym
Summary: Set after 3x09. She has lost Stefan, and now she has lost Tyler and Caroline decides that she's had enough of this mess. She takes matters in her own hands and endeavours to bring Stefan back. Will she be able to survive the Ripper's darkness?
1. Part One

_Disclamer : I own nothing._

_Warning : the second (and possibly the third) part of this OS will contain Mature themes._

_Pairing : mainly Stefan/Caroline romance, Damon/Caroline friendship. _

_A/N : If you want me to carry on with this, let me know. It'll be a little different from what I've published before, a little darker. I appreciate reviews, comments and criticism all the same. Love y'all - M._

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><p><em><strong>Beauty in the Dark (13)**_

Caroline's personal Hell had a name – Lord Niklaus. Who did he think he was, showing up and wreaking havoc on her life like this? She had never even laid eyes on him properly and yet, he was pulling at all the strings, and every day brought its share of new Klaus-related problems to solve. He had already turned her best friend into a "ripper" and now Tyler was happily _sired_ to him? She was nothing short of fed up with this hybrid business.

She couldn't help but notice that she was carefully left out of every defining moment - the sacrifice, Prank Night, Homecoming. She had never directly spoken to Klaus, and that was a real shame. She would have given him a piece of her mind, even though that might have resulted in her head being ripped off her body. Everybody was constantly trying to protect her, and although she appreciated it, she could not tolerate it any longer.

When she finally got Bonnie to explain what had happened at the Lockwood's that night, it became crystal clear to Caroline that as long as she stayed in Mystic Falls, she would always be a spectator of her own life. Her friends would always look at her like a bright and bubbly blonde who needed protection and she would always be left out of the plans. Because she was not trusted enough, not strong enough, or even not smart enough. It had to stop.

Caroline knew enough about Klaus to fear retaliation. Even if the death of his father had put him in a sufficiently good mood to spare Damon's life, the mercy wouldn't last. He would come for them all: Katherine, Bonnie and Damon, for trying to kill him. As for Stefan, well, he was free of Klaus' compulsion, but he was gone. Bonnie didn't know where to, and after his latest defection, Elena was apparently ready to let him go.

Well, she was not. After she hung up with Bonnie, she suddenly decided that she would bring Stefan back, at any cost. Unlike Elena, Caroline was not fooling herself into believing that she could turn him back to the Stefan she knew and loved. She knew he was broken and she knew it would take decades to fix him but she was a vampire, she had time. She would go wherever, do whatever, and be whoever it took to make him care again.

She packed frantically and drove straight to the boarding house after she texted _him_, of all people.

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"Damon," she acknowledged when he got into her car. "Thanks for coming."

She was all ready to go. It seemed right to tell him that she was leaving. She was determinate, but not strong enough to face her mother, or Bonnie and Elena. She knew Damon wouldn't try to hold her back.

"Going somewhere?" he said, gesturing to the four bags she had set on the back seats.

"I'm leaving town."

Caroline didn't elaborate. Damon had never cared much about what she did as long as she stayed out of his hair, and there was no reason for that to change now.

"Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it," she said absentmindedly. "Just came to say goodbye."

"You're sneaking out. Where to?"

She stayed silent. He grabbed her arm roughly.

"I've had a really bad evening, okay? I don't have time for this. Where are you going?" he repeated, detaching every word.

Again, she said nothing.

"Caroline," he growled. "Don't make me ask again."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. She had not planned to tell him anything – just goodbye. She tried to come up with a plausible excuse, but she had never been able to lie to him. Despite the fact that their recent confrontation had led to a victory on her part, she still felt like Damon was in position of authority. He was her Sire.

"I'm going to Chicago. To get Stefan back," she just said; Damon laughed.

"The way I see it, Stefan doesn't _want _to be saved."

"Yeah, and the way I see it, you and Elena are too busy losing yourselves in each other's eyes to do something about it."

He looked as though she had just slapped him. His jaw clenched and he glared at her, upset that she didn't look down. Even though it took all of his willpower to hold back, he would never do that to Stefan – act on his feelings for Elena while his brother was out there being a monster because he had taken upon himself to repeatedly save his life. Elena said Stefan would come back because he loved Damon more than he loved her – well, it was also true that Damon loved Stefan more than he loved Elena.

"There's nothing we can do until he's decided to care again," he just mumbled.

"I'll make him," she said stubbornly. "I'll fix him for you, Damon. And for me. For Elena."

Damon sighed.

"You'll have to stop Bonnie from coming after me," she said. "And you have to make sure they don't look for me - for us. I'll keep in touch – but only with you. I – they wouldn't understand."

After a few more minutes, Damon motioned to get out of the car.

"Promise me you'll be careful, Caroline. Text, call or email me every day."

"I will."

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In Chicago, Stefan tried to scare her away.

Caroline double checked the post-it on which Damon had scribbled Stefan's address. She stared at the door, painfully aware that, the minute she'd push it, everything would be different. _She_ would have to be different. But she had made the decision. No going back.

She exhaled deeply, pushed the door open and peered inside. The room was dimly lit, and her eyes instantly adapted; she frowned when she found several caskets in what she assumed was the living room. She could smell Stefan's cologne all over the place – it was the right place.

"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered to herself.

"Right back at ya," Stefan snapped.

Caroline jumped and slammed the door behind her. Stefan was sitting in a chair in the far right-hand of the room, a glass of Bourbon in his hand. She cursed herself for not sensing his presence before – her plan relied on her being able to make a strong impression from the first second.

The oh-so-annoying Rebekah crossed her mind and she mimicked the blonde's posture: back arched, hands on the hips, head slightly tilted and pouting lips. Caroline Forbes was one Hell of an actress and she was about to give Stefan her very best performance. Hell, she'd deserve a Golden Globe for that one.

"All this drive from Mystic Falls and you're not even going to offer me a drink before we start antagonizing each other?"

"Where are my manners?" he said ironically. "Please, help yourself," he said, motioning to the cupboard where the glasses were kept.

She made her heels click on the wooden floor and reached for a glass. It went to shatter on the floor when Stefan sped behind her back and pinned her against the wall, his hand closing tightly around her throat.

Caroline smirked – she had seen that one coming. She had fed heartily just before she got out of the car.

Quirking a perfect eyebrow at him, she deliberately took her time to remove his hand, careful to apply pressure until she heard bones cracking. Stefan's eyes widened in surprise and before he could say a word, she had him pinned against the opposite wall.

"So predictable," she sighed. "And definitely rude."

She threw her arm in front of her and was rewarded by a groan of pain when a stake tore into his side. He fell, trying to catch his breath. He nodded his head bitterly and noticed how easy it was for girls these days to have him on his knees.

"Did Alaric teach this to all the damsels in distress of Mystic Falls?" he said.

She laughed and turned to retrieve another glass from the cupboard. She opened the freezer to fetch some ice cubes and went to sit on the couch/bed, waiting for him to recover. With a grunt, he extracted the stake from his stomach. She nonchalantly tugged a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, poured herself a glass of Bourbon and crossed her legs.

Inside, she was everything _but_ nonchalant.

"So, now that we gave each other a proper greeting 'vampire style'," she said in the most casual tone she could muster. "What are those caskets?"

"I'd say it's none of your business, _Blondie_."

Stefan clearly didn't feel threatened by her presence, despite what had just happened; it merely amused him to see her, of all people, sitting in his apartment like she owned the place. His eyes travelled down her body, and he noticed that she had dressed up for the occasion. He wondered what the occasion was, actually.

"Lose the attitude, Stefan," she snapped. "Damon was always better at the nickname thing."

He smoothed his shirt and leaned against the wall, folding his arms against his chest. She took a sip from her drink, simply to go along with her act. It occupied her hands and partially hid the tense expression of her face. She enjoyed the sensation of the alcohol burning down her throat.

"What are you doing here, Caroline?" he said.

"What are we doing with a family of dead Originals?" she fired back.

Stefan silently shook with a small laugh. Caroline had always amused him; she, contrary to everybody in Mystic Falls, called a spade a spade. He liked that she was blunt and that she could always see the good side of a situation. She was quite witty and for one second, he analyzed her use of the pronoun "we".

She would certainly keep him entertained. But he couldn't risk it.

"There is no 'we'. Now, do I have to escort you out?"

"Oh no, I'm staying," she shrugged with a bright smile. "Your snarky remarks aren't going to scare me away."

"Because you 'know it's not the real me talking'?" he mocked.

She swallowed her drink and smiled.

"I'm not Elena, Stefan," she spat. "I got over the fact that you're now a first-rate jackass slash maniacal killer slash blood addict. I am not here to change you, because I know that the Stefan who promised he'd never let anything happen to me was too good to be true. Nobody is that selfless. Not to mention, he was a bore."

Stefan smiled. She had a point, there.

"So you're here because you need tutoring to embrace your dark side and everyone's too busy worrying about Elena to notice your existential crisis?"

"I'm here because I'm seriously pissed at your BFF, the hybrid asshole. And something," she said, motioning to the caskets, "tells me you are, too. We both need a partner in crime."

Caroline internally congratulated herself when she perceived a slight hesitation across his face.

"Why would I believe you?" he asked. "How do I know this is not another intervention you've staged with Elena and Damon?"

Caroline got to her feet and closed the gap between them. This was the defining moment.

"Klaus took everything away from me," she said in a low, spiteful voice. "May I remind you that he's the reason why Katherine smothered me with a pillow and turned me into a vampire? He took you away from me and he turned my boyfriend, who is now my ex-boyfriend, into a sired _pet_ who puts his _master's_ needs before his own – and before mine! Not to mention that he has tried to kill all of us several times, now. Do you seriously think I'll let him get away with this?"

She exhaled deeply. It had been a while since she had properly vented, and she immediately felt better. However, when Stefan stayed silent, she almost faltered. Was he going to call her bluff? Damn those Salvatore boys and their intuition when it came to her lies, she thought.

Stefan paused. Caroline was too closely linked to his old life; she used to be his friend, his protégée. She projected the image of someone he knew he could never be anymore and the sight of her made him uncomfortable. But he knew her; she wouldn't leave unless she decided to, and he didn't want to end her. And so, with an internal smirk, he figured he had ways to make her decide to leave.

"You can't handle this," he stated, aware that this argument would only make her want to stay more. "There's a reason why Damon calls you Vampire Barbie."

"There's a reason he stopped calling me that," she beamed. "You've been gone for a while, Stefan. I'm not the Caroline you used to know anymore."

He slowly strode to the coffee table and grabbed his drink, as well as Caroline's. He gave it to her and clinked his glass with hers.

"We'll see about that," he said with a smirk. "To revenge, then."

She winked at him, burying the remaining doubts she had. He was making it easy for her.

"To revenge."

In Chicago, she fooled him.


	2. Part Two

_Disclamer : I own nothing._

_Warning : I've removed the M rating, because it turns out this part is much softer than I thought. But there's a little bit of swearing and a SUPER-SUPER soft lemon. It's just 5 lines, so if you don't like it, you can skip it and still understand the plot._

_Pairing : mainly Stefan/Caroline romance, Damon/Caroline friendship._

_A/N : Thank you all for your comments, I'm happy to see that you're enjoying this. Writing Steroline is a new thing for me. Keep reviewing! Also, there will be more than 3 parts, after all. Probably just 2 more, who knows? Who's excited? Love y'all - M._

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><p>Caroline nervously sat down at the desk of a cybercafé. Shaking from head to toe, she struggled to communicate with the first person she saw about how to use the computer. While the teenager arranged everything for her and set up the computer in English, she let her eyes wander outside and thought that it was a pity she should visit this place in such terrible circumstances.<p>

She used to dream about Rio de Janeiro, so badly. She'd seen pictures and heard great stories from some of her friends. She always thought she'd have the time of her life in a place like this. And somehow, she was. It was just not in the best way possible.

She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, embarrassed by her sensitivity. Focusing on the screen before her, she typed a username and a password, and logged into the instant messenger, getting ready to be yelled at from the United States. It had been two days since she last texted Damon and he'd sure reprimand her for that. With an internal eye roll, she put out her cellphone and typed away.

In Mystic Falls, Damon jumped a little when his phone buzzed in the back pocket of his jeans. He was sitting at the Grill, pretending to listen to Bonnie yelling at him, and watching Elena just shaking her head at him. Caroline had been gone for over two weeks, now, and not having heard from her, her friends suddenly (rightfully) decided that he knew where she was, and more importantly, what she was up to. He wondered how they knew he was the one to interrogate. He and the blonde had never been close – how did they know she'd come to him, of all people?

He discreetly pulled out his phone and checked the home screen. A text from Caroline. Finally. He let out a deep breath and allowed himself to feel relieved for a moment. For some reason (he actually didn't want to look too much into it), he had been worried about her.

_Log in, don't have much time – C. _

He grimaced. She had terrible timing, but he could not let an opportunity to talk to her go to waste. He snapped back into the conversation – that is, Bonnie yelling at him – just when she finally went quiet. Rolling his eyes just the way it annoyed the young witch, he downed his glass of Bourbon and got to his feet.

"Listen to me very carefully, witch, because I won't tell you twice," he said in the most bored voice he could. "I don't care where Blondie is, or what she's doing. Never have, never will. Now, if you don't mind, I have a treacherous brother to find and a vengeful hybrid to avoid. See ya."

Before she even got a chance to come up with a counter-argument, he was gone. Thank God for vampire speed, he was locked up in his bedroom at the boarding house in less than five minutes. He turned on his computer nervously.

In Rio, Caroline was losing patience. Stefan would look for her soon. She said she needed some fresh air – and God, she _did_ – but he would only grow more suspicious if she disappeared without a reason for a long time. This new Stefan was everything he wasn't before: impatient, moody, sometimes mean. She was having a hard time adjusting to his insufferable personality, but she'd get through. She knew he didn't trust her just yet, but hopefully, the events of earlier that night would have made him reconsider his position.

Just thinking about this make her want to cry.

Just when she was about to log out, she saw Damon's name appear on the screen. She feverishly typed the first words, not bothering with greetings.

_**What took you so long?**_

_Hello to you, too, Barbie. What took YOU so long? It's been two days. Was this close to getting Witchy to do a locator spell or something. Where are you? _

_**What do you care?**_

She reprimanded herself for teasing him. She didn't have time for this.

_Are you still with Stefan?_

_**Yup. We're apparently disseminating creepy Original caskets around the world. I don't really understand how this is a revenge masterplan since your brother won't tell me but…**_

_Where are you?_

She paused, wondering whether she should tell him. There was something off about the way he was asking questions. He seemed just as feverish as she was, when he really had no reason at all. Except if …

_WHERE ARE YOU?_

There comes the yelling, she thought.

_**You're having second thoughts. How come?**_

_Might have to do with your best friend threatening to blow my head off with her juju._

_**LOL.**_

_Don't LOL at me. She means business. _

_**She's bluffing. She thinks you know where to find me. She needs you alive.**_

_She has ways to make me suffer. Tell me where you are._

_**Not part of the deal. Just letting you know that I'm alive.**_

_Are you okay?_

She didn't answer right away. Was she okay? Hell, no. Images from the last hour forced themselves back into her memory and she had to physically bury the urge to scream.

_Caroline? Still here? Are you okay?_

What was it with Damon, anyway? Since when did he care that she was okay or not? Couldn't he just check in on his brother and leave her alone? Couldn't he be here, doing this instead of her? He was used to being a monster, after all. He wouldn't be as destroyed about it as she was.

_**I told him I turned off my emotions.**_

_Did you?_

_**Duh, Damon. Seriously. **_

_So what's the matter?_

_**I ran out of blood bags.**__**I wanted to steal from the closest hospital, but he's testing me. I didn't have a choice. **_

In Mystic Falls, Damon shifted uncomfortably on his bed. She left with a considerable amount of his private stock, but it sure wasn't going to last forever. When he let Caroline leave town, he was too obsessed with the failure of the Kill Klaus Operation to really consider what it would mean for her to run away with Stefan. He had no idea how far gone his brother was, but whatever the answer, _StefanTheRipper_ was too much to deal with for Caroline. She could _not_ be a double agent. Damon mentally kicked himself for not seeing this earlier. Bonnie had every right to blow his head off.

_Come home. Now._

_**Gotta go. Text you tomorrow.**_

She logged out immediately, before he got the chance to talk to her about how everyone was worried sick. She was doing this for them, too. Once Stefan would come home, they would all be able to carry on with their lives and heal the wounds. She wanted to be the one that saved them, for once.

She grabbed her purse and walked out to the joyful sounds that seemed to never die in Rio de Janeiro. Everyone around her was so full of life. She envied them. Her humanity had never felt so lost before. She was here to neutralize Stefan's inner monster, and what had she achieved so far? She had found no other way to earn his trust than awake her own inner vampire.

She had the faces of her victims in her mind. The dark-skinned dancer whom she randomly bumped into while she and Stefan were getting out of a restaurant, the homeless teenage girl who'd tried to get a cigarette out of her. She fed more than she should have, because she was under such pressure that she was on edge. She couldn't endure Stefan's snarky remarks anymore, and his doubts about her emotions being switched off were nothing short of enraging her. So she bit into their necks, and for a split second, when her fangs broke their skin, she forgot about everything else in the world.

Their blood was probably the sweetest thing she had ever tasted, and guilt was consuming her for even acknowledging this. Even if she'd been on human blood before, fresh feeding didn't compare. Warm blood made everything easier – she stopped being worried, sad, scared. Despite her best efforts, the hunter inside of her enjoyed the chase, the glint of fear in their eyes as she revealed her fangs to them. She felt like she came alive when their pulse rose and their eyes widened and they tried to scream, but terror turned the sound into a pitiful squeal.

Stefan watched her, of course and she could tell that he found some sort of perverse pleasure in watching her drain these innocent people dry. Leaning against a wall nearby, he didn't miss a second of it. The only consolation she found in this, if any, was that he got much more easing-going with her after that. He stopped treating her like a millstone around his neck. He sure as Hell didn't trust her enough to tell her more about the coffin thing, but he wasn't looking down to her anymore. The fact that he treated her like an equal made her nauseous.

Her phone rang. She sighed. Was it too much to ask of Damon that, for once in his life, he let something go?

"Hello?" she picked up, audibly annoyed.

"Where's my Vampire Barbie?" Stefan teased enthusiastically.

"Told you to stop calling me that, _Saint Stefan,_" she snapped.

He laughed. It was a cruel, cold laugh as always. She shivered and got back into character.

"I am off shopping," she stated. "I'll need someone to carry the bags."

He laughed again.

"Fine," he said. "But a shopping session with Caroline Forbes will have me needing a few drinks."

His tone was filled with double meaning and she rolled her eyes. Wasn't he ever tired? Even she, as a younger vampire, wasn't experiencing thirst yet. Obviously, he was just torturing her.

"We'll get a nice bottle of wine, and I'll let you take a sip from every bitchy saleswoman we meet," she said with an audible – and terribly fake – smile. "Trust me, your thirst will be quenched."

"I like the way you think, _Barbie_," he said appreciatively. "I'll meet you there."

"Okay," she chirped.

She hung up and exhaled deeply, her face falling immediately. She could do this. She would bring him back, at any cost. And the cost, she was slowly starting to realize, would be her soul.

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In Barcelona, after they dropped off Elijah, he did his best to expose her.

The fact that she was now feeding from humans didn't ease his doubts about her. The Rio episode only reinforced his impression that something was not right with her. There was something off about how accepting she was of his lifestyle. Given, she fed a lot less than he did, and when she did, she made sure to feed only from the lowest scum, but still. He knew who Caroline Forbes was, and it certainly wasn't that girl.

However, being her "partner in crime", like she enjoyed to call him, wasn't as bad as he first thought it would be. She proved quite useful in different situations, but mostly she kept him entertained. When he got too far lost into his desire to ruin Klaus, she never failed to snap at him and remind him that life was worth living when you were a vampire and compulsion could get you anything you wanted.

For once, he complied when she asked to go clubbing – he was quite tired of her cheerful babbling. At least, the music would drown out her words and provide him with some sort of tranquility for a while. Time to think. Clubbing was never his scene. Caroline, on the other hand, belonged nowhere else. He was desperately looking for a reason to put her in an uncomfortable situation, to trigger a reaction; he smiled devilishly when she offered it to him on a silver platter.

She might be ready to feed from humans and compel them when she found convenient, there was one side of his darkness that she sure wouldn't embrace. If she was playing a game with him, like he _knew_ she was, the devious plan that was developing in his head would push her off the edge. She wouldn't resist this, and she'd give up on her little act and get back to Mystic Falls, where she belonged.

He purposefully turned to her with a charming grin.

"Wanna dance?" he said. "I'm bored."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. This was the nicest he had been to her since they left Chicago a month ago. It was actually the first time he had asked something that didn't sound like a trick question. For a moment, she thought she saw her old friend and it shook her to the core. Something in his green eyes was different than a moment before, and she wanted to believe that it had something to do with her presence, here. Maybe she was breaking through the Ripper? Maybe if she kept acting like a bitch to everyone, and she didn't stop feeding from humans, he'd let her in?

Fair enough.

She smirked at him and got to her feet. Before he got a chance to do the same, she strode to the dance-floor and grabbed the first man she saw. The poor chap couldn't believe his luck, and she couldn't help but feel flattered. She suddenly realized that she hadn't been with a guy since Tyler and Hell, she missed cuddling and kissing and holding hands. Not to mention, she needed sex. Those damn vampire urges. She wondered how she had not been bothered with this earlier and she met Stefan's gaze. _That_ was why. Too busy killing off people and befriending a fucking ripper. She turned her back on him and started to dance with this plain, oh-so-plain guy.

From the other end of the room, Stefan winced at the conspicuous eyes the Spanish guy laid on the blonde. She didn't seem to care, but he surprisingly found himself deeply irritated. This wasn't going to go with his plan, at all. His anger flared up in a way that he didn't understand. He watched as she closed her eyes and got lost in the music, her hips swinging in rhythm with whatever smash hit that was. She didn't flinch when two clumsy hands went to rest on the small of her back. Stefan felt his blood rush and his eyes widened. He was actually _upset _to see her with a guy. It didn't make sense, but then, the man's hands wandered a little more South. That was _it. _He closed the distance between himself and the "couple" in a second.

"Hands off," Stefan shouted as he pushed the human away.

Caroline was still smirking, as if she had been _expecting_ him to do that, to feel this _jealousy_ – it annoyed him to the limit, although he was only pretending (was he?). He wanted to snap that dude's neck, and then he wanted to wipe that smirk off her face and, fuck, he wanted to be rid of her altogether. He didn't have time to lose with her games. He grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her to the back door. He hadn't planned to go that far, but it was her fault, she'd had it coming.

"I can handle myself, thank you very much," she said teasingly when they were alone in a dark alley.

"Oh, I know that. Just thought _he_ couldn't handle you," he said – he meant it.

"But of course, you can. Isn't that right, Stefan," she mocked before she could help herself.

Damn me and my bluntness, she thought when Stefan's eyes immediately darkened. This was something she'd never thought of when she decided she would stay with him. She knew the bloodlust was all he could think of – she naïvely assumed that he didn't have any other urges. But the way he was looking at her, his eyes lingering on her mouth before they dropped to her cleavage, clearly said otherwise.

He took a step towards her, and as expected from the prey she was being turned into, she took a step back, hitting her back against the wall. Stefan had to concentrate to stay in character and not laugh at how easily she fell into the trap. Truth be told, now that he took a real look at her, she looked quite … tasty. Funny how he'd never notice before this very moment that her lips were deliciously full and kissable, that she smelled like rose and cinnamon, and that her blue eyes were to die for. Probably he was too whipped on Elena to see. For a second, Caroline reminded him of Rebekah. He found himself wondering if she was just as explosive as the Original. He blinked rapidly and smirked at her. This was going to be easy. In less than five minutes, she'd be gone. And if she didn't leave, well … things would get really interesting.

"Oooh," he said. "I see now why you did this."

"I didn't _do_ anything," she pointed out, folding her arms across her chest.

"That dress alone serves my point," he countered. "You've been a tease all night. Surely you had something in mind."

Actually, she just thought that was what evil vampires did – look hot and careless all the time. She cursed herself for supposedly sending the wrong signals his way – she had enough problems already, she couldn't deal with a horny Stefan. She snapped her eyes shut and shook her head in denial as he closed the distance between them and let one of his fingers stroke her knee, then go up her inner thigh.

"What's wrong, Care?" he teased when she pushed him away, a little too hesitantly.

"Leave me alone," she growled. "I don't want you like that."

"That's not the impression I got when we first met."

"That was a long time ago," she said. "I'm over it."

"Excuse me if I'm a little skeptical about that," he whispered. "I see the way you look at me sometimes, sweet Caroline. And I know that your vampire hormones are reeling right now."

Her jaw clenched. Of course, Stefan was the archetype of everything she liked in a man, but did she really give him weird looks? She couldn't remember. She re-opened her eyes and pushed him away the stronger she could, but he merely moved back a few inches. Stefan sort of liked that she was putting up a fight; he always liked it when they fought. It only made things more exciting, and the victory would only taste better. Not to mention, he needed some easing the tension. He pushed back, stronger than she had.

"Hmm," he said. "So Vampire Barbie likes it rough? I can do rough."

"Oh my God, Stefan. Shut up," she begged.

"Make me, _Blondie_," he challenged in a whisper. "If you can."

There was no way out of this. If she chickened out, he would have proof that she was faking the whole turning-off her emotions thing. He had her. In her eyes, he could see the fear that he would leave without her or send her back; possibly kill her if he was in a bad mood. Relief started to spread through his body – her leaving could only be good for him; she was too much of a distraction. All he had to do was move just a fraction of an inch closer, and she'd freak out. He'd have won.

But instead, Caroline crushed her lips to his. After a moment's hesitation – and further irritation – he crushed her to the wall.

Dress tucked. Shirt ripped open. Kisses. Skin bruised. Hair being pulled at. Sighs. Hands all over. Panting breaths. Passion. Legs wrapped around waist. Bodies melted into one another. Moans. Oh-so-dirty words. Legs trembling. Bites. Pure, animal lust.

It was over within minutes.

Stefan knew that he was probably breaking Vampire Barbie for good, but he couldn't help a smile against her skin as they found their release. Caroline threw her head back and brought her chin to rest on his forehead, catching her breath. She felt dirty – and not in pleasant way.

Never mind that he could smell her salty tears – actually, Stefan found some sort of twisted amusement in the fact that she must have been hating herself for enjoying this so much. She could tell all the lies she wanted afterwards, the way her body had responded to his was eloquent enough.

"So," he said ironically once he set her back onto her feet and she nervously arranged her dress. "Doing your best friend's one love in the back street, uh? Such a slut, Forbes."

She didn't miss the appreciative tone of his voice when he called her a slut.

"Fuck you, Stefan," she said shortly.

He laughed.

"Think you just did, baby."

He strode away without a glance back at her as she let herself slide down the wall. At least, Stefan thought, he would be rid of her for good, this time. He was terribly happy with himself: not only had he scared he away, he had only satisfied a burning desire – a need – of her that he didn't know he had. At least, he'd keep that memory of her when she'd be gone, he thought. Things were better off like this. He didn't have time to bother with a girl, whoever that girl might be. He didn't have time to play games with her, or cuddle with her like he knew she'd want him to, at some point. He was better off without her.

So, on the following day, when he found her waiting for him at the airport, he rolled his eyes. She was standing there, bright and _freaking_ bubbly as ever, a smirk across her face. Nothing like the broken girl he left the day before. She was holding a cup of coffee for him.

"Call me a helpless romantic if you want," she chirped. "But in my book, it's the guy who brings breakfast on the morning after. So much for the Southern gentleman, Stefan."

He paused, then accepted the coffee. She giggled childishly and started going on and on about their next destination. Any trace of distress was gone; it was like nothing ever happened. Although it did annoy him that his plan hadn't worked and he would have to put her with her incessant talking, some part of him was actually glad that she was here. Maybe she had really turned off her emotions, after all. Maybe she wasn't here to jeopardize his revenge, and maybe they could actually be partners in crime. Maybe she could be the Bonnie of his Clyde.

In Barcelona, she surprised him.


	3. Part Three

_A/N : Hey there ! I thought last chapter would have you all more excited, but I hope this one will trigger a lot more enthusiasm. The plan partly unveils when it comes to the coffins - and here, insert my theory about what could be in the fourth coffin on the show - and the friendship between Damon and Caroline goes a little deeper. Tell me all about it ! - Love, M._

* * *

><p><em>You need to stop giving me the silent treatment, Caroline.<em>

"_**Caroline"? Wow. Someone's worried.**_

_Shut up. How are you?_

_**Still alive.**_

_Everything OK with Stefan? Still don't wanna tell me where you are?_

_**Yes. And no. **_

_What about the other night? Feeling better?_

_**Don't worry 'bout it. **_

_I'm not my brother. Playing cool doesn't work._

_**Give me a break.**_

_You're the one who spent three hours crying over the phone._

_**Shut up...**_

_Why are you deflecting?_

_**Why are you so nosy? **_

_Maybe I'm worried about you._

Although she was deeply irritated with him for bringing _that_ up, Caroline couldn't help but smile at his last text message. Who would have thought she'd see the day when Damon Salvatore would actually worry about her? She paused, and thought about what it meant. If _he_ was worried, then it meant she'd gotten herself in some serious trouble. And damn, she had. She sighed.

"Should I be jealous?" Stefan asked, causing Caroline to jolt.

They were having dinner in a fancy restaurant, and she just realized that it was incredibly rude – and imprudent – of her to use her cellphone right under his nose. She quickly typed "_**Email u l8r" **_and put the phone back into her purse, after she deleted every text message stored on it. Just in case. She looked at Stefan with a shrug and an apologetic smile.

Since the Barcelona "incident", his attitude had changed. He wasn't trying to push her away anymore; he no longer made their every interaction a struggle for dominance. She didn't feel his eyes lingering on her anymore when she fed, and he stopped making allusions to her friends back in Mystic Falls. Truth be told, she appreciated the change of heart. But still, the secrecy about the coffins remained. Whenever they got into a new place, he would leave her alone for an entire day and deal with the coffin on his own. It unnerved her.

The green-eyed vampire raised an eyebrow at her and cleared his throat, visibly still expecting an answer. Caroline decided to be blunt about it, and grimaced at him, trying her best to look bored.

"Seriously, Stefan," she sighed. "Just because we fucked once…"

"_Fucked?" _he snorted, cutting her off. "Really? _Fucked?_"

"That's my inner slut talking," she said with a shrug. "You know, that girl who did her best friend's one love in a backstreet?"

Stefan sighed. It annoyed him to see how careless she was being about the moment they shared, because he couldn't exactly say the same about himself. Ever since they left Barcelona, she seemed actually free of all bad emotions. She was nothing but smiles and jokes all day, and he found himself enjoying her presence. Appreciating it. So yeah, maybe he shouldn't have called her a slut, but what could he do about it, now? He sighed again.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way."

"Yes, you did," she said. Inside, she enjoyed that for once, she was the one leading the conversation. "Anyway, just because we _had sex_ once doesn't mean you can get all clingy."

_Touché_, she thought when she saw a flash of anger passing through his face. It was gone in a second, but she still saw it. She noticed that bringing this up was the best way to get any genuine reaction from him, these days – he seemed to have a soft spot for her, and she was Caroline _freaking_ Forbes, she knew how to manipulate men.

Stefan grabbed his glass of wine and downed it.

"Don't overestimate yourself, Barbie," he snapped. "I was just being curious."

"That's funny, considering that you have refused to answer all of _my_ questions," she fired back, crossing her arms. "Annoying, isn't it?"

"You do realize that you're putting your sexting and the Original family on the same level, right?" Stefan said patronizingly, pursuing his lips.

Caroline laughed.

"Tell me what we're doing," she insisted. "All I'll tell you who I am _texting_," she lied.

"I'm pretty sure it's the guy who bought you a drink last night," Stefan said. "And if I'm right, you'd better not tell me, because I might make him my dessert."

"Fine," she said lightly. "I'm not telling you. I'm all for getting dessert, though."

She had to force the words out of her throat, but the result was worth it. There was a familiar glint in Stefan's eyes, and she knew she had effectively changed the subject. As usual, he forgot about everything else as soon as blood was mentioned.

In the blink of an eye, he had thrown a few notes on the table, grabbed her hand, and dragged her outside.

"I'll let you pick," he said shortly. "Whoever."

Caroline rolled her eyes at his hastiness, but she quickly made a decision before his thirst got out of control. There was an elegantly dressed man, walking by himself, just a few feet away. He was wearing a black button-down, and if she was careful with her bite, he would easily be able to hide it. She pointed a finger in his direction.

"Him," she said. "Meet me there in five minutes."

Before Stefan could protest, she was striding to the man with a flirtatious smile. She didn't like violent kills like he did. She charmed her victims, and made it as little painful for them as she could; most of the time, she didn't even kill them. She wouldn't kill this one, she decided.

Five minutes later, when Stefan joined them, she was flirting outrageously with the man. The green-eyed vampire immediately decided that he'd kill this one.

Caroline grabbed the man and brought him closer to her. She was about to kiss him when Stefan suddenly emerged from the darkness, smirking.

"There you are," he said as if he'd been looking for her everywhere.

Caroline rolled her eyes at his grand entrance. Another thing that Stefan liked and she despised was the little acting that came with most of his attacks. Building a scenario seemed to enhance everything for him. It just annoyed her, but she already knew she'd play along.

"Is he your boyfriend?" the man asked and Caroline just rolled her eyes.

"Stefan," she said sternly.

"She looks like an angel, doesn't she?" he said to the man, in a deep, low voice. "But she's not."

The man took a step away from Caroline, visibly ill-at-ease.

"I'm sorry – I didn't know she was –," he started, but Stefan dismissed him with a wave of the hand.

"Didn't know she was a _vampire_?"

The man frowned and turned to Caroline, only to be faced with red eyes, dark veins, and fangs. His eyes widened in horror, and she smiled wickedly. At him, or at Stefan, she didn't know. But this was always the best part of feeding – the anticipation.

Just as he tried to run, Stefan came behind him and sank his teeth into his jugular with no delay. He sighed when the blood flowed into his mouth. He drank slowly – agonizingly slowly, making sure his fangs broke the skin again and again, inflicting pain and enjoying every drop of the precious red liquid.

"Don't be selfish," Caroline complained, despite herself.

With a groan of frustration, Stefan let his fangs retract and offered the neck to her. He held the man for her as she drank deeply, until the guy stopped struggling and his pulse slowed down to a murmur. Soon enough, he went limp between their two bodies.

She disengaged her fangs from his neck and the man fell down. Caroline met Stefan's burning gaze. She wondered whether he was staring at her lips, or at the blood that was smudging them. The answer came when he took a step towards her and licked the droplets of blood at the corning of her mouth, stealing a kiss at the same time.

She closed her eyes when he moaned. She was too lost in the moment to care what was coming next. In that precise moment, she was high on blood and it was all that mattered – to feel good.

"Gotta go," Stefan whispered, as his thumb caressed her cheek.

Caroline's eyes snapped open and she pushed his hand away. She got a handkerchief out of her purse and wiped the remaining blood off her creamy skin. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Stefan was smiling.

"I love it when you pout," he said; she immediately stopped.

"Why won't you take me?" she whined.

"A gentleman needs his privacy, Caroline," he said. "Besides, you're the one who said I shouldn't get clingy."

_Touché_, she thought bitterly. God, how she hated it when he used her own words against her. He was too good at that.

"Fine," she shrugged. "I guess I'll get back to my sexting, then."

He flinched, but said nothing. Internally, she was jubilating.

"Or," she said teasingly. "You could tell me what it is you're doing with the coffins every time you leave me alone and take me with you."

She saw hesitation dancing across his face. She took a step towards him and put her hands on his chest, cocking her head.

"Please?" she said in a hoarse whisper.

Her lips brushed against his.

"Fine," he said. "I'll tell you, but you can't come."

"Fine."

An hour later, when Stefan was gone and she was back at the hotel, she turned on her computer.

_**Finally alone. Wait for my email – got news.**_

_Waiting._

* * *

><p>From: Caroline Forbes<p>

To: Damon Salvatore

_Dear Damon, _

_Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be cold, but I don't want to talk about what happened, ever again. I honestly didn't think I could go that far, and my self-esteem is still non-existent. I told you everything when I called you the other night. By the way, thank you for picking up the phone. I truly needed someone to talk to, and I never thought this person would be you. Sometimes, I tend to forget that there's actually a nice person hiding underneath the first-rate jackass ;)_

_Honestly – thank you. I know you don't care about most of the things I tell you, but you always listen. I would lose my mind if I couldn't talk to you. _

_We left Spain a week ago. I'm still not telling you where we are, because we both know you'd come and get me. I've worked hard to break down Stefan's walls and I can't have you ruin it all just because you're worried about me. _

_I was wondering why Bonnie hadn't localized us yet, but now I know. We are apparently shielded from any supernatural radar, if I may say so. This is also why Klaus hasn't come after us. I feel safer, now. Not completely safe though – Stefan is still acting weird, but it's not what I'm most scared of._

_I'm scared of myself, Damon. I find myself doing and saying uncharacteristic stuff. Like, I purposefully encouraged him to feed on someone today – and he ended up dead – just so I wouldn't have to answer his questions about me texting you. I disgust myself._

_In other news, Stefan finally told me about his plan. He's smart, that brother of yours. Not only is he hiding the coffins all around the world, he is using different kinds of magic to conceal them from Klaus. He will never find them, and even if he does, he'll need to identify which type of magic was used, find the witch or warlock who performed the spell and get them to reverse it. NOT GONNA HAPPEN._

_But there's more. The Original family had seven children, remember? One died before they migrated to America, and another one died at the hands of the werewolves. That leaves Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, and two other. Rebekah is still in Mystic Falls, and Stefan said she destroyed her coffin in Chicago. There should be three coffins left. But there's a fourth one. I don't know what is the deal with this one, Stefan says it won't open._

_We dropped two Originals already, in Brazil and in Spain. He's off dealing with the third one. I think the coffin that won't open is the key to everything._

* * *

><p>From: Damon Salvatore<p>

To: Caroline Forbes

_Indeed, Stefan is a smart guy. I always knew he had met different kinds of witches during his travels, after we turned. Be careful – they must be much more powerful than you can imagine. Stay away, and let him deal with this. Don't push too hard with your questions; he might sense that you're being too curious._

_You have to change to way you look at things: you're not killing for sport. You're doing the best you can to fix everything for the people you love. You're being heroic. Don't forget that, and don't forget who you are. I know the blood makes it easier to let go every time you feed, but don't let yourself feel better about these things, or you'll be just as lost as Stefan._

_Remember when you called? You thought you'd never be able to look him in the eye again and now he's told you all about his big plans. I had my doubts, but you can do this. And every time you need someone to tell you that you're a mess, give me a call. You know I wouldn't miss an opportunity to yell at you for anything in the world, right, Blondie?_

* * *

><p>From: Carolines Forbes<p>

To: Damon Salvatore

_We're back to Blondie again, you're done worrying. Good. He's coming back. Talk to you soon._


	4. Final Part

_A/N : This is the end of this fiction, folks ! It was supposed to be just a One Shot and now it's more than 10k words ! I'm sorry it took so long for me to publish it, and I'm also sorry that it didn't turn out the way I wanted. Hope you still enjoy it, though. Look out for my next publication: moving on to another pairing, Bamon ! - Love, M._

* * *

><p>It was the middle of the night when Damon's phone buzzed. He suppressed a groan and contemplated just ignoring it. It was certainly from Caroline, and she was probably giving him the same crap: everything's okay, we'll be back soon, don't worry about me, tell my mom I'm fine.<p>

But what if she had something else to say, just this once?

He rolled over and grabbed his cellphone, rubbing his sleepy eyes with one hand. The crude light of the tactile screen assaulted his sensitive sight, and he blinked several times before he was actually able to read the words. His eyes widened while he read, and for a second, he thought he was dreaming.

_**It's over.**_

He sat up. An emotion that he could not quite identify made his undead heart beat faster and he felt completely awake. He _had to_ hear it from her. Hear that they were finally done with Klaus, done with the fear of retaliation, done with the constant impression of being watched.

_Klaus dead?_

_**Not quite.**_ _**Fourth coffin finally opened two days ago. The witches lifted the shield so Klaus could come find us. He did, and the witches trapped him.**_

He dialed her number, and changed his mind. Something was missing from that text.

Her emails and text messages had gotten shorter, and vaguer. Damon was forced to read between the lines – because through this epistolary friendship of sorts, he had learnt to know her. When she started justifying her kills, he knew he'd lost her. It didn't bother her anymore that Stefan looked at people like mere blood banks. She killed people and partly enjoyed it. She let his brother have her body – he didn't want to believe that she willingly gave it to him –, and party enjoyed that as well. When he expressed the slightest concern about her, she dismissed him: _When Klaus is in that coffin, it'll be over._ He never replied to that, because he simply didn't know how to tell her that she was falling in love with a monster, and becoming one herself. But eh, Klaus was in the coffin, now.

_Coming home?_

He asked simply for good measure, and even before she replied, he knew what she'd say. What he didn't know yet was if he would act on impulse about it.

_**Not just yet.**_

He sighed. Yes, he would act on impulse, because it was the right thing to do. She had tried to bring his brother back, but all she had done was lose herself. He couldn't allow that any longer – he had for much too long already.

This uncharacteristic brooding led him to the porch of a house he seldom visited. Damon smirked when he found himself faced with messy hair and half-closed eyes. Even in a moment like this, he rejoiced in disturbing (upsetting, annoying, exasperating) _her. _Even at four in the morning.

"Seriously, Damon," she grunted as she opened the door. "It's the middle of the night."

"I am well aware, Witchy," he quipped.

"What do you want?" she whined.

"I need you to locate Caroline for me."

* * *

><p>"We should go on vacation, somewhere," Caroline said and Stefan's eyebrows rose in surprise.<p>

Klaus had been an issue of the past only for two hours, but it was very perceptible that a weight had been lifted off Stefan's shoulders. An outside observer would have described them as the promo poster for "the happy couple"; they were laughing and eyeing each other with great complicity, walking down the streets of Bucharest.

Stefan was well aware of this, and though it did bother him that Caroline had managed to get under his skin, in this moment, he didn't care. Klaus had been _this_ close to killing her, and it had taken half a second for Stefan to realize that it would make him suffer to lose her. So now, the only thing that mattered to him was to enjoy her in every way possible.

His emotions were not back on, so he couldn't blame his new attitude on his human side. Actually, he was softening towards her precisely because he wasn't feeling as a human would. He was still the Ripper, and the Ripper didn't _feel_. He obsessed over things and people. First it was blood, and then it was destroying Klaus. Now, it was Caroline.

She didn't know, since he did his best to conceal it – he wouldn't let her have so much power over him – but most nights, when his sleep got troubled with dreams of his past life in Mystic Falls, he would stay up, propped on his elbow and watch her sleep, caressing the curves of her face with his eyes in the darkness. Her peaceful breathing was enough to slow down his frantic heartbeat and the slightest brush of skins sometimes sent in brain into frenzy. She did act like a drug on him. He was addicted to her. He wanted to please her, because when she was upset, she refused him in every way that she could; he didn't _like _it.

"Where'd you wanna go?" he finally asked.

She clapped her hands in delight and went deep in thought, muttering names of exotic locations to herself.

"Choose carefully, my little bad girl," he teased.

"Anywhere you won't be a jackass?" she snapped because of her aversion to the nickname.

He had dropped Barbie, Blondie and the likes as soon as he found the best way to describe their relationship. When she asked why he called her that, he was honest. While the old Caroline was the epitome of pure and kind, the woman he had on his arm now was like, the feminine version of the Ripper: she was fierce and fearless. What she wanted, she took – may it be a fancy dress that she couldn't afford, the neck of a teenager, or his lips in the middle of the night. She was his little bad girl; she was what he had made of her. She didn't _like_ this explanation; it was a little too close to the truth.

Stefan stopped walking and faced her. That is how it always was: he pulled, she pushed. She pushed, he pulled. They spent their entire time arguing over the most trivial matters, fighting about serious things. She had awakened him to the virtues of make-up sex.

Caroline spontaneously lowered her eyes, afraid that she had overstepped. Maybe she had overestimated his good dispositions, after all. He had been so moody over the last weeks that she never knew how to act around him.

Stefan smiled at her shyness.

"How about somewhere sunny where nobody can ever find us?" he said.

Her head shot up and he couldn't help another short laugh at her flabbergasted face.

"Really?" she said childishly.

"I'll tell you what," he said. "I deal with the flights, you have a shower and then we pick the most expensive restaurant in town for dinner."

"Sounds perfect!"

Later on, when they were back to their hotel, Stefan kicked off his shoes and sat on the bed – he grabbed Caroline's laptop that was half-closed on the bed. She had not given him any precise location, so he would just browse through the Internet and book whichever flight took off first thing the following day to the sunniest place possible. Money was obviously not an issue, so he'd book a fancy hotel, too. Yes, Caroline would love that.

"Hey," she called from the bathroom. "Maybe we could skip dinner."

"I thought you wanted to celebrate," he observed distractedly.

Actually, her mood was down, now. She was upset that Damon hadn't returned her last text message, and she wanted to stop thinking about it. She could visualize him frowning, with his judgmental eyes. He'd remind her that she promised to come home once Klaus would be have been dealt with, and ask her why she was breaking that promise. She wanted to forget about everything that was related to Damon, to Mystic Falls, to who she was becoming and why she was staying with Stefan. There was only one way to achieve that goal.

"I can think of better ways to celebrate," she said with purposeful innuendo.

"Is that so?" he said, his smile audible. "Enlighten me."

While she was telling him with all the wicked things she would do to him, Stefan had all the trouble in the world to focus on his research. She just knew how to get to him. Her words awakened memories from their steamy encounters and he found himself wondering how he'd lived without her for so long.

Just when he was about to toss the computer away and join her in the bathroom, something caught his attention. He was not exactly the nosy type, but the possessiveness he was feeling towards her drove him to check it out. Looking for what, he wasn't sure.

"I'm ready," she sang from the bathroom. "Are _you_?"

Caroline frowned when she heard no response.

"Stefan," she purred.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she very theatrically pushed the bathroom door open. She knew the sight would content him: he absolutely loved those stilettos and he had bought this matching pair of black lace underwear for her. However, the flirtatious look on her face shifted to surprise when she found the bedroom empty. The French door had been left open and she wondered what could have possessed Stefan to leave so abruptly.

"How rude," she yelled teasingly, just in case he was still in a surrounding area.

She gasped in horror when she found her laptop open on the bed.

"Stefan," she called again, loud enough to be heard from far away. "Stefan!"

She neared the computer and anxiously checked the page. "Sent Messages".

* * *

><p>Stefan was sitting alone in the dark, where he belonged.<p>

So his first intuition was right, after all. Caroline had been pretending with him, from the very beginning. Browsing through the history of conversation between her and Damon, he had trouble believing his eyes. This had been going on for months, from the very beginning.

Despite the anger this situation provoked in him, he couldn't help but admire her acting skills – she had royally fooled him. That fixed him for underestimating her. He hadn't seen it coming: she fed willingly, she leaned into the touch when he stroked her cheek, she snapped and killed people. He thought she was becoming more like him, while this had just been proof that she was being more "Caroline Forbes from Mystic Falls" than ever.

None of this made sense to him. Why did she bother? They used to be friends, yes, but they were not _that_ close. Their friendship wasn't worth tearing her soul apart – _he_ wasn't worth it. So why did she do it? As he carefully read all of the messages, he got his answer. She _loved_ him. She never wrote the words, but he felt it in the way she talked about him, in the way Damon warned her not to get attached.

Stefan sighed. He had turned her into a monster and she loved him. How _Caroline_ of her.

Two days passed before he could make a decision in regard to what attitude he should adopt towards Caroline.

Another thing that surprised him was the way Damon and Caroline interacted. She told his brother everything, and the two had developed a surprisingly close friendship as they struggled to bring him back from the edge. It was Damon who told Caroline how to handle his bad moods, how to deal with his thirst and obsession for revenge. It was Damon who made her feel better about herself when he did his best to break her. In Rio, in Barcelona, every time she killed, every time they kissed.

He didn't _want_ Damon to make her feel better about herself. And with this oh-so-realization, something snapped inside of him, and he knew what he had to do.

* * *

><p>There was a bar in town where they had a drink once, and she literally fell in love with it. Since she had checked out of the hotel, Stefan figured it was his best shot to find her. Maybe someone had seen her – such a cute blonde, she wouldn't have gone unnoticed. He tried her cellphone several times, but the number had been disconnected. She had vanished, and he wondered if she was looking for him, too.<p>

His doubts were eased when he glimpsed her sitting alone at the bar. He sighed in relief, and the way it made him feel to be close to her again comforted him in the decision he had made.

Just when he was about to enter the bar and go to her, he saw a familiar figure nearing her.

_Damon_. It shouldn't surprise him. With their magical protection off, it was a wonder his brother hadn't found them yet.

Stefan decided to wait and listen. Maybe she didn't want to find him – maybe she was glad to be rid of him, in which case he would let her go home with his brother, where it'd take months to heal the wounds he had inflicted to her.

"_You look terrible," Damon teased as he sat on the bar stool next to her._

Caroline jumped a little and her eyes widened when she saw him. She quickly turned around to make sure Damon was alone, and Stefan had to speed into the darkness to remain hidden. When she heaved a sigh of relief, he looked through the window again.

"_I assume you asked Bonnie to find me," she said dully. _

"_You didn't exactly give me a choice," Damon fired back. "Where's Stefan?"_

"_Gone," she sighed._

Stefan couldn't tell if she was upset or relieved.

"_He found our emails."_

"_Oh."_

There was silence for a moment and Stefan noticed with annoyance that Damon didn't seem the least bothered about him having found out the truth. It shouldn't surprise him – his brother had a history of breaking his trust.

"_So, he didn't kill you," Damon said. "Clearly, there's progress. The Ripper I know would have ripped your heart out."_

"_Doesn't help," Caroline snapped._

"_I'm not here to comfort you, this time."_

"_What, then?"_

"_I'm bringing you home," Damon said. "You have no reason to stay here."_

"_Yes, I have," Caroline countered. "He's done with Klaus, now he –,"_

"_He'll realize he's been a psycho son-of-a-bitch and come home? Not gonna happen, Blondie."_

"_You don't know that. He has changed."_

There was silence again. Caroline was avoiding making eye contact with Damon, and her shoulders were tense.

"_You're in love with him," Damon said after a while. "You can't deny that."_

She didn't deny it. She stayed silent and fixed her eyes on her drink. Stefan could tell she was annoyed, because Damon was right. This assumption made him feel just a little better.

"_Caroline, look at me," Damon said. "Look at me."_

She stayed still. Stefan watched as his brother extended his hand to her shoulder, but she moved away.

"_Don't touch me," she said. "He'll smell you."_

"_He is gone," Damon countered. "You said so yourself."_

"_He'll come back," she said fiercely. "He'll come back and I'll fix him."_

"_Caroline, that's enough. You need to come home, now."_

"_Who do you think you are, showing up here and making decisions for me?" she snapped._

"_I am your friend," he said shortly. "The guy who told you that you were strong when you let Stefan have your body for no reason at all, the one who said it was for the greater good if you killed people, the one who held your mother in his arms when she cried because you didn't even say goodbye to her."_

She said nothing. Stefan felt a pang of guilt at the evocation of his misdeeds. Out of nowhere, the nickname "little bad girl" crossed his mind, and he gritted his teeth – he had indeed shaken her world. He had thought it wouldn't be so wrong, getting her on the wild side. But now that he had spent two days away from her, he could see what he had done: her hair was dull, her voice sounded wary. Her spark was gone.

"_That's who I am, Caroline," Damon breathed. "I'm your friend. And, as your friend, I came to tell you that you need to come home, because this is over."_

It was the moment Stefan chose to make his presence known.

"It is," he said, causing Caroline and Damon to turn around.

"Brother," Damon greeted; he moved an inch closer to Caroline, who had to bury the urge to roll her eyes. "Long time, no see."

"Relax, Damon," Stefan said peacefully. "I agree with you, this is over."

He looked at Caroline, who looked scared to death. He took a deep breath, and took a step towards her.

"We're going home."

* * *

><p>In Chicago, he tried to scare her away, and she fooled him. In Rio, he reconnected her with her inner monster, and she let him. In Barcelona, he did his best to expose her, and she surprised him. In Bucharest, she made him feel. In Mystic Falls, they were both broken and dead inside, but they tried to love each other, and heal each other.<p>

_Everywhere I'm looking now_

_I'm surrounded by your embrace_

_Baby I can feel your halo_

_You know you're my saving grace._

Beyoncé - Halo


End file.
